September 28, 2012

Most Florida voters oppose Ryan Medicare plan

> Posted by William Gibson on September 28, 2012 02:37 PM

Paul Ryan and fellow Republicans appear to be losing ground with Florida voters because of his proposal to cut Medicare and turn it into a voucher-like “premium support” system.

VP candidate Paul Ryan

A Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation poll published on Friday found that 65 percent of Florida voters want to “maintain the current system of benefits” under Medicare, while 29 percent prefer a “system with a fixed amount of money to help purchase coverage.”

Ryan, the GOP’s vice presidential nominee, has told supporters in Florida and elsewhere “we will win this debate.” But the poll indicates he may be losing, at least so far.

The poll did find that most voters in Florida as well as Ohio and Virginia recognize that “changes need to be made to keep it (Medicare) sustainable." In Florida, 71 percent of those polled agreed with that statement, and 25 percent said “it is fine to leave it as is.”

President Barack Obama has said the program can be sustained with mere tweaks. Ryan says it can only be saved with a major overhaul, including a big cutback in government spending. His plan would give those now 54 and younger the option of getting a fixed amount of money to buy insurance once they reach Medicare eligibility age.

Most non-partisan experts say Medicare can only remain solvent if taxes are raised or benefits cut, but that these changes could be relatively painless if they begin soon and are spread over a long period.

Some 74 percent of those surveyed in Florida said “policymakers can reduce the deficit without reducing Medicare spending,” and 18 percent said that “Medicare spending needs to be reduced in order to reduce the deficit.”

September 25, 2012

31 voters possibly cast ballots in both NY and FL

> Posted by Kathleen Haughney on September 25, 2012 05:54 PM

TALLAHASSEE -- A new report out from True the Vote, a nonpartisan election organization, found that there were 31 cases of absentee ballot fraud where voters cast ballots in both Florida and New York.

"This is just the tip of the iceberg,” True The Vote President, Catherine Engelbrecht said. “This is further evidence of just how susceptible our election system is to voter fraud. Earlier this year, Pew Research found more than 2.75 million people nationwide are registered to vote in more than one state. These early findings put a name, face and potential motivation behind that startling statistic. True The Vote calls on Florida, New York and federal officials to investigate and confirm our citizen research.”

According to the release, the Florida Secretary of State, the New York State Board of Elections and the U.S. Department of Justice were notified of the findings.

The group said the 31 voters were identified after being matched based on full name, birth date, reciprocal mailing addresses and voting history demonstrating ballots cast in both states during the same federal election cycle.

Chris Cate, a spokesman for the Florida Department of State, confirmed they had received the information.

"Florida takes seriously its commitment to ensuring the accuracy of its voter rolls and the integrity of the election system and we will carefully review the information and any future information provided that suggests a violation of the state’s elections laws," he said.

Please accept this letter as my formal challenge to you to participate in a series of candidate debates for the District 34 State Senate seat.

I believe the differences between your voting record and mine on the issues important to the residents of District 34 are significant. Voters have the right to know where each of us stands on those issues.

The debate process is as old as our country and a part of the fabric of our Democracy.
It was Thomas Jefferson who said, “Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.” I couldn't agree more.

In the interest of impartiality, I suggest that we look to our local newspapers and/or television stations as prospective debate hosts.

Your immediate response is requested so we can begin working on the logistics for the debates.

Rubio praises Obama order to curb sex slavery

> Posted by William Gibson on September 25, 2012 01:05 PM

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio praised President Barack Obama’s executive order cracking down on sex trafficking, which the senator says mirrors his own proposed legislation.

Florida U.S. Senator Marco Rubio

Obama outlined new steps to stop human trafficking in the United States and overseas during an address on Tuesday to the Clinton Global Initiative, a conference sponsored by former President Bill Clinton.

The executive order prohibits sex trafficking by government contractors, including large overseas subcontractors. His administration also is stepping up training for federal prosecutors, law enforcement officials and immigration judges to deal with the problem.

Rubio says the order sounds much like his bill: “The End Trafficking in Government Contracting Act of 2012.”

“I commend President Obama for using his platform in New York today to highlight the tragedy of modern-day slavery through human trafficking,” said Rubio, a Republican accustomed to criticizing the president. “Today’s executive order is a welcome step to fight unknowing U.S. taxpayer-funded human trafficking in government contracts.”

Rubio said he would continue to seek passage of his bill to give the order the power of law. He also called for Congress to re-authorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, which expired last year.

> Posted by Kathleen Haughney on September 25, 2012 08:26 AM

* An Orlando Republican has ended his re-election campaign after his name showed up on a client list of a man who allegedly ran a prostitution ring, the Orlando Sentinel reports

* The Herald profiles Ana Sol Alliegro, a GOP political consultant, who has been missing or hiding for a few weeks. Alliegro is a key figure in the investigation of Justin Lamar Sternad's campaign finances. From the story: When Justin Lamar Sternad met Ana Sol Alliegro at a Miller's Miami Falls Ale House, he didn't know the political consultant would help lead his campaign into the FBI¡¯s crosshairs or that she had prior legal run-ins, including the time she shot at her ex-husband while naked.

* The Sun-Sentinel writes that Boca Raton residents are being asked if they are willing to pay more in taxes to keep their library services.

* The Tampa Bay Times reports that for many Republican lawmakers, their campaigns are essentially wrapped up. But they are still fundraising.

* The Palm Beach Post writes about the ongoing fight over the merit retention of three Supreme Court justices.

September 21, 2012

RPOF Board opposes retention of 3 Supreme Court Justices

> Posted by Kathleen Haughney on September 21, 2012 04:21 PM

TALLAHASSEE -- The state Republican Party is lining up against three Supreme Court Justices up for retention this November.

Here's the statement from RPOF spokeswoman Kristen McDonald:

"This week, the RPOF executive board voted unanimously to oppose the retention of Supreme Court Justices R. Fred Lewis, Barbara Pariente, and Peggy Quince. While the collective evidence of judicial activism amassed by these three individuals is extensive, there is one egregious example that all Florida voters should bear in mind when they go to the polls on election day. These three justices voted to set aside the death penalty for a man convicted of tying a woman to a tree with jumper cables and setting her on fire. The fact that the United States Supreme Court voted, unanimously, to throw out their legal opinion, raises serious questions as to their competence to understand the law and serve on the bench, and demonstrates that all three justices are too extreme not just for Florida, but for America, too."

Deutch bill pressures China on drywall

> Posted by William Gibson on September 21, 2012 12:20 PM

South Florida Congressman Ted Deutch teamed up with Republicans this week to push a bill through the U.S. House designed to hold China responsible for contaminated drywall that was shipped to Florida and other states.

The Drywall Safety Act would pressure the Chinese government to submit drywall makers to the jurisdiction of U.S. courts. It also would ban further importation of the drywall.

Thousands of homeowners in Florida and 38 other states have claimed that Chinese drywall has corroded wiring, impaired breathing and caused other health problems.

The bill, which has not been considered by the Senate, would direct the secretary of commerce to “insist” that the Chinese government meet with U.S. representatives to discuss ways to remedy homeowners.

Deutch, a Democrat from Boca Raton, worked with Republicans on the measure, including Mario Diaz-Balart and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Miami.

September 20, 2012

Anti-hazing bill would deny student aid to violators

> Posted by William Gibson on September 20, 2012 02:25 PM

Surrounded by tearful relatives of hazing victims from Florida and elsewhere, Congresswoman Frederica Wilson proposed on Thursday to deny federal financial aid to students who are punished by colleges or convicted by states for hazing others.

Pam Champion

She uneviled the framework of a bill that also would deny federal highway money to states that fail to enact anti-hazing laws.

“Hazing is dangerous. Having is deadly,” Wilson, a Democrat from Miami Gardens, said at a press conference outside the Capitol. “And the time for Congress to address it is now.”

On hand to lend support were the parents of Robert Champion, a drum major for the famous high-stepping marching band at Florida A&M University. Champion died last year at age 26 from injuries suffered when he was beaten with drumsticks and bass-drum mallets during a hazing ritual requiring him to make his way to the rear of a bus carrying the band’s percussion corps.

“We need to stop keeping things under cover and stop saying that `this is the way it is.’ Well, the way it is, is wrong. So it’s now time to make a change,’” said his mother, Pam Champion.

“He has graduated to a higher level,” she said, “to open a door to the brutality of what it is. Now that that door is open, it’s time for people to come outside of that door and say, ‘No more.’”

She and other grieving relatives of hazing victims stood with Wilson behind a banner that depicted rows of tombstones and the words: “Hazing kills – 163 deaths to date. If you want to haze, lose your financial aid – not for days, but for LIFE!”

They included relatives of Harrison Kowiak, a 19-year-old from Tampa, who allegedly died of beatings to his head after a violent night of “hell week” while pledging at a fraternity at Lenoir-Rhyne University in North Carolina.

Wilson said much of her mission is to change the attitudes of students and alumni who accept violent hazing traditions, especially at African-American colleges and fraternities.

“When did it become a tradition to beat each other and torture each other for the purpose of fitting into an institution?” Wilson said.

To put pressure on students, her bill would ban those who are convicted of hazing crimes or sanctioned by colleges for hazing from receiving student aid. It would also establish an advisory committee to review state laws, compile data on hazing incidents and recommend criminal penalties.

And it would deny highway and transit funds to states that fail to enact felony criminal hazing statutes.

September 19, 2012

Broward superintendent makes Scott school group

> Posted by Kathleen Haughney on September 19, 2012 05:15 PM

TALLAHASSEE -- Broward County school superintendent Robert Runcie is a member of Gov. Rick Scott's new group to look at "red tape and regulation" in Florida schools.

The Department of Education released the list of committee members Wednesday afternoon, a day after Scott announced he was forming the panel.

“I look forward to continuing to work with the Governor and school leaders in Florida to support learning and increase student achievement at every level,” said Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart in a press release. “Open communication leads to productive conversation and it is my hope that this group of superintendents will put a spotlight on the important priorities of Florida’s education system.”

The members of the committee are listed below.
• William Husfelt, Superintendent, Bay County Public School District
• Robert Runcie, Superintendent, Broward County Public School District
• Dr. Douglas Whittaker, Superintendent, Charlotte County Public School District
• Wallace Cox, Superintendent, Highlands County Public School District
• Dr. Barbara Jenkins, Superintendent, Orange County Public School District
• Dr. Joseph Joyner, Superintendent, St. Johns County Public School District
• Dr. Margaret Smith, Superintendent, Volusia County Public School District

Rubio wants to reveal college-grad earnings

> Posted by William Gibson on September 19, 2012 01:25 PM

Students, parents and states should have a better handle on what a college degree brings in terms of earnings after graduation.

Senator Marco Rubio

So says Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, who has teamed up with Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon to promote a bill designed to provide more information on what college students can expect after graduation.

Lots of students run up big debts to pay for college, the senators wrote in an opinion piece in USA Today. but they are “making these decisions with shockingly little information about how likely it is they’ll graduate from a particular school, how much debt they’ll have when they graduate, what their future earnings are likely to be and what the likelihood is that they’ll make enough money to pay down their debts after they graduate.”

The senators are promoting a bill they call the “Student Right to Know Before You Go Act.” The bill would encourage states to expand or create data systems that measure student success in the labor market, including annual earnings by educational program.

“Students don't have access to data that could help them make real-world decisions about their futures, and policymakers are given an incomplete picture when making decisions about how to best allocate tax dollars,” the senators wrote.

“By allowing states to disseminate this data through a coordinated system, students would not only know exactly what to expect from the institution they are looking to attend but what to expect once they graduate.”

They acknowledged concerns that such data would discourage students from entering lower paid jobs, such as teaching or social work. The senators said students nevertheless should be able to consider the data before making whatever trade-offs.

The legislation isn’t given much chance of passage in this year’s session, but it opens an interesting debate as college costs rise and student debt grows. The bill also shows Rubio's willingness to work with Demcorats on some common causes.

Religious groups bash Amendment 6 on moral grounds

> Posted by Aaron Deslatte on September 19, 2012 10:54 AM

TALLAHASSEE -- With Catholic organizations from around the state cashing in to pass the anti-abortion Amendment 6 headed to voters in November, a coalition of religious groups is decrying the measure as a state-imposition of religious dogma.

Amendment 6 would restrict public dollars from funding abortions or health insurance that covers abortions except in areas covered by federal law; it also overrides Florida court decisions that have upheld broader privacy rights than the U.S. Constitution affords. Supporters say that would create an opening to push for broader parental-consent laws for minors seeking abortions.

The amendment would not ban expenditures for abortions in cases of rape or incest or when the life of the mother is threatened. But critics say it doesn't extend that exemption to cases where the health of the mother is at stake, and may also interfere with public employees' ability to purchase private health insurance that covers abortions.

On Wednesday, a group called Faith Voices Against Amendment 6 also lent its voice to the opposition, represented by Jewish, Unitarian and Methodist reverends and pastors.

"Diversity of opinion is okay. What’s not okay is when one group tries to impose their views on everyone else," said the Rev. Katy Schmitz with the First Unitarian Church of Orlando. "It’s not OK when one group tries to make their view the law of the land."

The group backing Amendment 6, Citizens for Protecting Taxpayers and Parental Rights, is portraying the amendment as a question of parental rights. It has raised just over $96,000 from the Archdiocese of Miami, as well as Diocese of Orlando, St. Petersburg, Venice, Pensacola, the Florida Conference of Catholic Bishops and other religious groups.

"The restoration of parental consent seems to be a reasonable consideration… . It makes sense," Jim Frankowiak, the Tampa-based campaign manager for the group, said last month.

One person on the call Wednesday, a Catholic voter named BJ Star from Ozona, said it "breaks my heart" to learn her church was helping finance the amendment's passage.

But Planned Parenthood affiliates from around the country, as well as some large single donors, have dwarfed the cash coming in for the pro-Amendment 6 group. Abortion-rights supporters and organizations have poured $1.5 million into a PAC called Vote No on 6. That group is not officially tied to the religious groups that held a conference call with reporters Wednesday.

Nancy Ratzan, former national President of the National Council for Jewish Women, said the nation's right of religous freedom meant not only the right to practice but "being free from state imposed religious beliefs."

The Rev. Glenn Bosley-Mitchell with St. John’s on the Lake First United Methodist Church in Miami Beach also called Amendment 6 "dangerous to where we are as citizens" because it would impose upon individual abortion-decisions made by individuals with their families and religious institutions.

September 18, 2012

Scott: Teachers need less red tape (but the FCAT is still good)

> Posted by Aaron Deslatte on September 18, 2012 10:32 AM

TALLAHASSEE -- Gov. Rick Scott is keeping up the sudden love-fest with Florida's teachers by announcing Tuesday he would convene a panel of five superintendents to study ways to reduce their paperwork.

The announcement follows a week-long "listening tour" to meet with teachers around the state where he fielded questions from educators flustered over higher standards, fewer dollars, and a perceived lack of respect for their profession emanating from Tallahassee.

After his tour, Scott even dined with the Florida Education Association union leaders and said afterward he would urge legislative budget-writers to increase classroom funding next year (after proposing a $1.8 billion cut to school budgets his first year in office). It's unclear how realistic that will be since revenues are expected to be essentially flat next year.

Tuesday's announcement came during the Florida Cabinet meeting, and happens to sync well with one of his campaign goals to reduce regulation -- although his "red tape" reduction pledge was originally touted as a way to create jobs, not improve education.

"We heard many great suggestions from teachers and administrators during our education listening tour on how we can make changes at the state level to reduce unnecessary requirements and regulations so they can spend more time in the classroom teaching," Scott said in a statement.

"Today, I am announcing that we will convene a group of five superintendents, representing both large and small districts, to give us their suggestions on the unnecessary red tape and regulations we can cut at the state level in order to increase classroom time for Florida students. Our education initiatives must focus on better preparing students for college and careers and we want suggestions on how to eliminate anything that is a hurdle to that goal."

Scott has been a fervent defender of Florida's decade-old evaluation and accountability reforms for schools that produces a lot of out-of-classroom paperwork, but that support is unlikely to waiver.

September 17, 2012

Judge hands Senate victory to Clemens

> Posted by Kathleen Haughney on September 17, 2012 10:53 AM

TALLAHASSEE -- Rep. Jeff Clemens, D-Lake Worth, is still the winner of August primary for Senate District 27.

Tallahassee Judge Terry Lewis examined 40 absentee ballots that lawyers for Rep. Mack Bernard, D-West Palm Beach, Clemens' opponent in the race, believed were improperly thrown out by Palm Beach County elections officials. He said he did not find any that he believed were dismissed in error.

Clemens was declared the victor of the August primary by 17 votes, but Bernard had immediately challenged that, declaring that 40 absentee ballots and nine provisional ballots were wrongly thrown out. Lewis said he would accept the provisional ones, but not the absentees.

Absentee ballots are examined by matching the signature of the voter on the ballot to the voter signature on file at the election supervisor's office. At issue in this case were 40 ballots that Bernard's team felt should have been counted. Bernard's attorney J.C. Planas, a former state representative, said that they had obtained affidavits from 23 voters swearing that these were their ballots.

Lewis, carefully looking at the signatures on each of the ballots, repeatedly told attorneys on both sides that he didn't believe the signatures matched.

"To be honest, there weren't any that were really that close," Lewis said.

One problem, Planas said, is that many of the ballots in question were cast by Haitian-American voters who may have struggled with ballot instructions. In Creole, the words for "sign here" and write your name here" are similar. Planas said in some cases, the voters signed one form, but printed on the other, making it difficult to compare the handwriting.

September 12, 2012

Cheer up! Florida's economy is less of a bummer than last year

> Posted by Aaron Deslatte on September 12, 2012 12:48 PM

TALLAHASSEE -- For the first time in five years, Florida policymakers are looking at a horizon free of projected budget shortfalls, thanks to growing tax collections and cuts to classrooms, road-building and the state’s social safety net.

The state’s top economist told the Joint Legislative Budget Commission on Wednesday that lawmakers and Gov. Rick Scott would have more flexibility next year when they write a new budget than at any time since 2007 -- a product of deep "recurring" cuts enacted over the years, and the slow economic recovery that has led to some re-hiring.

All told, state government is projected to have $2.7 billion in its three main reserve funds this year, and that could create political temptations for lawmakers and Scott to spend it on tax cuts or restoring more classroom dollars.

After adjusting for growth in programs and education expenses in the current 2012-13 fiscal year, the state would carry over $1.55 billion in surplus revenue. By 2014-15, state revenues are expected to be $2.5 billion higher than expenses, although revenue forecasts two years out are typically revised.

"Clearly our financial situation has improved, but in my view, we're not out of the woods yet," said outgoing Senate Budget Chairman J.D. Alexander, R-Lake Wales.

The Republican-controlled Legislature has routinely confronted multibillion-dollar budget shortfalls in recent years, smoothed over thanks to an infusion in federal stimulus dollars, $2.2 billion in tax and fee hikes in 2009, and billion s in cuts over the last two years -- including $1.35 billion in classroom spending reductions in 2011, and $300 million in cuts to state universities this year.

Gradually, though, the revenue has started growing again.

With one of the deepest declines in gross domestic product in 2008 and 2009, Florida's state GDP began inching upward at 0.9 percent growth in 2010 and slowing to 0.5 percent growth in 2011. Florida's $754.3 billion GDP grew at the 37th highest rate among the 50 states last year.

Personal income growth in Florida has also lagged the nation, although it has steadily grown since the end of 2009. In the first quarter of 2012, Florida's 0.7 percent growth rate ranked 38th in the country, lagging just behind the national 0.8 percent growth.

Florida's unemployment rate also fell from 9.9 percent last December to 8.8 percent in July -- but 91 percent of the decline was due to discouraged workers dropping out of the labor force.

"It's hard to call it rosy, but it's definitely better than what we've seen in recent years," said Amy Baker, whose legislative Office of Economic and Demographic Research is charged constitutionally with producing a three-year financial outlook report every year.

Baker said the report was the most positive her office has produced since it began turning them out six years ago, but there remained growing spending pressures and potential outside threats -- from the instability of the euro zone to the congressional "fiscal cliff" standoff over spending and the national debt.

"It just takes some of the pressure off. It doesn't say 'Everything is great, and we can fully fund some of the things we've cut in the past.' It in no way implies that," Baker told lawmakers on the joint House- Senate budget oversight panel.

Incoming Senate PresidentDon Gaetz, R-Niceville, also questioned whether the forecast took into account the cost overruns that frequently occur in the state's Medicaid health-care program for the poor, elderly and children.

The outlook anticipates growth of more than $700 million in Medicaid spending next year has the $21 billion program serving more than 3.3 million people continues to grow.

The cost would actually balloon to $26.7 billion in 2014-15 if Florida opts to participate in the optional Medicaid expansion that is part of President Barack Obama's health-care law. The reform would add another 800,000 people to the program by then, but Scott has said the state will not expand the program.

Allen West warns against “nightmare of Islamism” in Libya

> Posted by William Gibson on September 12, 2012 10:16 AM

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio of Florida warned on Wednesday that Libya may be headed down a violent path, and South Florida Congressman Allen West said the Arab Spring revolutionary movement has led to a “nightmare of Islamism.”

Both Floridians condemned the murder of U.S. Ambassador Chris Stevens and three other Americans by a mob of protesters Tuesday night at the U.S. consulate in Libya.

Florida U.S. Senator Marco Rubio

Rubio feels a personal connection to Stevens after meeting him in Washington and during the senator’s trip to Libya last year.

The Republican from West Miami, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, had urged more aggressive U.S. military action in Libya to aid rebel forces that ousted the regime of Moammar Gadhafi. For Rubio, it was an example of the need to confront adversaries and assert American leadership.

Since then, he and other members of Congress have become concerned about violence in Egypt as well as Libya.

"If left unchecked, violent attacks like these against our embassies and diplomats will lead Libya and Egypt down a dark path and rob them of their hopes of a more prosperous and democratic future,” Rubio said on Wednesday.

West, a Republican who has moved to Palm Beach Gardens, was wary of U.S. intervention in Libya for fear that the revolution there would bring anti-American extremists to power.

“I don’t know who those guys are,” West said at the time.

On Wednesday, West condemned the deaths of Americans “at the hands of intolerant, barbaric, radical Muslims.”

“Americans need to question whether the deaths of these innocent patriots could have been avoided. The Obama Administration touted the Arab Spring as an awakening of freedom, which we now see is a nightmare of Islamism."

The ambassador and three members of his staff reportedly were killed when protesters attacked the consulate out of anger over a film that ridiculed the Islamic prophet Muhammad.

September 11, 2012

Union threatens prison health-care privatization lawsuit

> Posted by Aaron Deslatte on September 11, 2012 03:39 PM

TALLAHASSEE -- Another lawsuit over prison health care looms as the latest salvo in a protracted struggle between the state Department of Corrections and the union representing state workers.

The 14-member Joint Legislative Budget Commission will consider Wednesday a state move to outsource health care and pharmaceuticals to private vendors, but the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees is warning that the Republican-dominated panel would be overstepping its bounds to do so.

The budget panel will consider a Department of Corrections request to transfer $58 million within its budget so that the contracts can begin on Jan. 1, 2013. The department plans for Wexford Health Sources to provide care at South Florida prisons and for Corizon to provide care in the rest of the state.

Approximately 100,000 prisoners and 2,600 jobs are affected.

Lawmakers directed the department to privatize inmate health care last year. But a legal challenge by AFSCME and the Florida Nurses Association stalled the issue. The challenge centered on a legislative decision to include the change in budget fine print, known as "proviso" language, instead of passing a stand-alone bill.

Since the proviso language expired with the end of the 2011-12 fiscal year on June 30, a Leon County circuit judge said the issue was moot and did not rule on the case.

The department maintains that it can continue with the health care privatization effort under already-existing state law, even without the proviso language.

But Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich, D-Weston, who led her chamber's defeat of a different, stand-alone prison privatization bill, told reporters in a conference call Tuesday that her understanding is that the panel's role is restricted by statute.

"It's one of making limited adjustments in the budget, not creating policy change," said Rich, who has served in the Legislature for a dozen years, including several during which she was on the joint budget panel.

AFSCME attorney Tom Brooks said state law restricts privatization efforts to "counties, municipalities, non-profit corporations or other entities capable of providing needed services."

"We believe, by specifically mentioning non-profit corporations but leaving out for-profit corporations like Wexford and Corizon, that statute doesn't even cover the kind of contracting-out they're trying to do here," Brooks said.

Department of Corrections Spokeswoman Ann Howard, however, said the department believes that "other entities capable of providing needed services" would cover such private companies.

Brooks said AFSCME will file a new lawsuit challenging the privatization if the LBC approves it Wednesday.

Fight over high court judges dials up rhetorical flourish

> Posted by Aaron Deslatte on September 11, 2012 12:02 PM

TALLAHASSEE -- The group of lawyers and former judges who is going to bat on behalf of three Florida Supreme Court justices told reporters Tuesday they feared a "sneak attack" of negative advertising in the final weeks before the November elections.

"Pumping in millions of dollars from outside into trying to influence the decisions of the court is a terrible idea and the beginning of the destruction of the independence of the judiciary," said former Miami legislator Alex Villalobos, who is heading a group called "Democracy at Stake."

Joining him are former ABA president Sandy D’Alemberte, who helped establish Florida's merit retention process for appeals court judges; former Supreme Court Justice Raoul Cantero, who is heading the Committee of Responsible Persons group backing Justice Barbara Pariente; and former Orlando lawmaker Dick Batchelor, heading another group called Defend Justice from Politics.

The cause of so much legal organization?

So far, the Orlando-based Restore Justice 2012 group trying to "educate voters" about the justices has been a low-budget affair, with little evidence that it planned to mount a massive paid-media effort.

The group has raised a small amount of cash, organize conference calls with supporters, and produce a "score card" that flunked Justices Pariente, Peggy Quince, and Fred Lewis for court decisions they made on tort reform, property rights, and striking down former Gov. Jeb Bush's old voucher program.

Based on its IRS reports to date, the group has hired two people -- Orlando-based President Jesse Phillips and Tampa political consultant Debbie Cox-Roush -- and raised just north of $60,000, most of it from Miami Beach doctor Allan Jacob.

Conversely, the three justices themselves had raised a cumulative total of $974,874 through early August. As of last month, Batchelor's group, Defend Justice from Politics, had reserved more than $528,000 in Orlando television airtime this fall.

"If pumping millions of dollars destroys our court system the Justices should return the millions they've raised to the lawyers who donated," Phillips said in response.

The group on the call Tuesday were responding to a the "Restore Justice" nine-stop road show this month from The Villages through Naples and Broward County to target tea partiers with a message that the three remaining Democrat-appointed judges had derailed conservative policy goals.

They said they feared Florida's high court electoral fight would follow a pattern in other states where big money from conservative out-of-state financiers would sweep in during the final days to swing what is normally a non-controversial merit retention process where voters will simply be asked whether to retain the judges.

Florida's high court has been lambasted by GOP lawmakers -- particularly outgoing House Speaker Dean Cannon, R-Winter Park, and Rep. Scott Plakon, R-Longwood -- for tossing Plakon's amendment that challenged President Barack Obama's health-care law (which they put back on the ballot this fall) and other tax-cutting and redistricting issues. Cannon retaliated by pushing a constitutional amendment in 2011 to break the Supreme Court in half, although it was watered down before being placed on the November ballot.

Villalobos -- a lawyer and former Senate Majority Leader who was stripped of the title in 2006 by then-Senate President Tom Lee for not going along with a push by Bush to override the high-court's voucher ruling -- said it was ironic that critics were calling the court "activist" when it had refused to re-write the health-care amendment, which had been found defective. The Legislature had asked the court to fix the defects rather than requiring lawmakers to re-do the language.

"This court is being accused of being activist for not being activist," Villalobos said.

Tuesday Morning Reads: Taxes, Economic Incentives and Foreclosures

> Posted by Kathleen Haughney on September 11, 2012 06:00 AM

Here are the top stories in Florida politics and government that we're reading this morning.

* Florida A&M said in a court filing that former drum major Robert Champion is to blame for his own death, the Orlando Sentinel writes.

* The Palm Beach Post reports that the average mortgage reduction for Florida homeowners is topping $114,000 thanks to a deal struck by a group of state attorneys general and the country's biggest lenders.

* The Sun-Sentinel writes that tax hikes are likely coming for Broward County residents.

* Gov. Rick Scott is ordering an investigation into the state's decision to award millions of dollars in economic incentives to a company that is now pulling out of Florida, the AP writes.

September 7, 2012

Supremes hear pension arguments

> Posted by Kathleen Haughney on September 7, 2012 10:49 AM

TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Supreme Court Friday questioned whether the Florida Legislature violated a contract with 572,000 teachers, prison guards, nurses and other public employees when it began requiring them to contribute 3 percent to their retirement plans.

The lawsuit, led by the 140,000-member statewide teachers’ union, argued that requiring public employees to contribute to their employees was tantamount to a breach of contract because those workers accepted their positions with the promise of certain benefits. That included a pension plan that did not require contributions.

“You can’t change the game in the middle of the game,” said Ron Meyer, an attorney for the Florida Education Association.

In 2011, the Legislature, facing a $3.8 billion budget shortfall, opted to make significant changes to the state’s retirement system that is used by all state and county employees, and some city employees. In addition to new employee contributions, they increased the retirement age and lowered benefits for employees in the deferred retirement system.

Gov. Rick Scott immediately signed off on the changes, which were among his top campaign promises. He had long argued that the pension system needed to be strengthened, even though it is one of the strongest systems in the country.

The teachers union promptly sued arguing that the contract with current employees had been broken and that it had impaired their right to collective bargaining. They were quickly joined by other labor unions including the Police Benevolent Association and the Florida Nurses Association. A trial court sided with the employee groups in March, and an appeals court automatically forwarded it to the Florida Supreme Court.

September 6, 2012

Will Charlie Crist draw independent voters to Obama?

> Posted by William Gibson on September 6, 2012 02:44 PM

Already despised by his former Republican brethren, Charlie Crist will goad the GOP tonight in a featured speech at the Democratic national convention while completing his embrace of President Barack Obama.

Florida Republicans, who think Crist is preparing another run for governor, already are fighting back. The state Republican Party on Thursday circulated a Crist ad from his early run for a U.S. Senate seat before he converted from Republican to independent.

Obama with Charlie Crist in 2009

“Enough is enough,” the Crist ad said. “That’s my message to President Obama. We can’t spend our way into prosperity or tax our way into growth.”

Crist at the time was establishing his conservative credentials. Tonight at the convention, he is likely to take a different line by attacking Republican extremism and praising Obama’s attempts to stimulate the economy.

“I'm looking forward to watching Charlie's speech tonight. It will be entertaining to see him try and debate himself on issues like this," said state Republican Chairman Lenny Curry. "Crist is trying hard to reinvent himself, but his own words show us the conservative positions he has held throughout his entire political career.”

Former Gov. Crist is carrying on a recent tradition of politicians who go against the grain of their own party or former party, often at the other guy’s convention.

In 2004, it was conservative Democratic Sen. Zell Miller from Georgia who lit up the Republican convention by chastising leaders of his own party.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Democrat turned independent, filled the role at the 2008 Republican convention. “What, after all, is a Democrat like me doing at a Republican convention like this?” he said to applause. “Well, I'll tell you what: I'm here to support John McCain because country matters more than party.”

Tonight, Crist will take his turn, most likely to deliver the message that his former party has been taken over by extreme elements that defy compromise, block progress and fail to address problems. He is scheduled to speak during the 8 to 9 p.m. segment, just before Sen. John Kerry, the 2004 nominee.

To Republicans, it amounts to hypocrisy and opportunism. To Democrats, it’s a reflection of how far right the Republican Party has moved.

The important question is: What will independent voters and moderate Republicans make of Crist’s speech? Will he have a special appeal to them, and will it be enough to prompt them to vote for Obama and other Democrats?

The implications are potentially significant. If independents and moderates drift away from Republicans, Democrats could establish a clear majority for years to come.

September 5, 2012

Obama heads to Florida after convention

> Posted by William Gibson on September 5, 2012 03:53 PM

Right after his own national convention in Charlotte, President Obama plans to head to the Tampa Bay area of Florida, site of last week’s Republican national convention.

Obama plans to land in St. Petersburg on Friday evening -- the day after he accepts the Democratic nomination for re-election -- for campaign events in west Florida through the weekend.

The Florida swing reflects the state’s importance in the general-election campaign and the president’s determination not to concede it to Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

Florida is virtually a must-win state for Romney to reach 270 electoral votes and victory. For Obama, the state’s 29 electoral votes would come close to clinching the election when combined with states where he is leading.

It’s bound to be the first of many such trips over the next two months.

The groups have already tussled before the Florida Supreme Court over the maps, after the high court last March found the Legislature's first version unconstitutional because eight of the 40 districts violated some elements of the "Fair Districts" amendment. It was designed to prohibit reducing the ability of minorities to elect candidates, drawing lines to keep ruling parties in power or ignoring existing geographic and political boundaries.

And that first-round is providing some fodder for the new challenge filed Wednesday in Leon County Circuit Court by the League of Women Voters, the National Council of La Raza, Common Cause, and seven individual plaintiffs.

"The Supreme Court conducted a limited, facial review. We believe a full review of the senate map will reveal that senate districts were drawn in complete disregard of the new criteria," said Gerald Greenberg, a lawyer representing the groups.

"Rather than comply with the constitution, the legislature simply continued its same old practice of drawing lines to help incumbents or advance the interests of a political party. Fortunately, the FairDistricts criteria empowers the courts to review and remedy these constitutional violations."

Among the districts they argue is unconstitutional is District 32 in Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Palm Beach counties, which they argue was drawn to keep Sen. Joe Negron, R-Stuart, in office.

After lawmakers redrew the map in an extra-innings redistricting session, the court upheld them, with Justices James Perry and Peggy Quince -- the court's two African-American justices -- dissenting over the way Republican lawmakers carved up a black community in Daytona Beach.

And Justice Barbara Pariente, in a 17-page concurring opinion, declared that the limited 30-day time frame and process put in place in 1968 for the court, lawmakers and challengers to hash out redistricting maps was insufficient under the new, more complicated standards, adding "the time has come for this state" to consider naming a citizens panel to handle redistricting in 2020.

Based on voter-performance data, the new map would preserve 23 reliably Republican seats in the chamber, continuing a GOP majority now at 28 seats. It created five majority-Hispanic seats, with a new one in Orange and Osceola counties; five likely to elect black candidates; and two with high-enough Hispanic and black voting-age populations that they could be expected to elect a minority candidate.

The new legal challenge re-hashes many of the same arguments.

As a prime example, they noted the new map preserved the "oddly shaped appendage" -- a north-south slice of central Orlando -- that the court in March said was drawn to keep future Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, in a safe seat.

In the invalidated map, the "appendage" -- bordered by minority districts to the east and west -- turned west to connect to Lake County. The new map ties the appendage to eastern Orange and northern Brevard counties.

The court held that this time, lawmakers had done enough analysis on the neighboring minority seats to demonstrate they couldn't completely get rid of the "appendage" of mostly white voters without damaging the ability of minorities in those neighboring Hispanic and black districts to elect candidates of their choice.

Justices Perry and Quince also objected to the majority decision to go along with a change to Senate District 8 -- splitting up a black community in Daytona Beach, which has the effect of making a Volusia-based Senate seat more Republican-leaning.

The district "has clearly been drawn with the intent to favor a political party to the detriment of a racial minority community," Perry wrote. "The effect of the Senate plan was to divide a historically black community -- which is also a largely Democratic-voting community -- into the surrounding community thereby diluting the voting power and even the influence of that historically black community."

Wednesday Morning Reads: Texting, immigrant students and foreclosures

> Posted by Kathleen Haughney on September 5, 2012 08:38 AM

TALLAHASSEE -- Good morning and welcome to the Wednesday edition of the morning reads.

Here are the top stories we're reading this morning.

* A South Florida judge ruled yesterday that state colleges and universities have erred in charging children born in the United States to illegal immigrants higher tuition rates. The News Service of Florida has the story.

* The Orlando Sentinel writes that employers are starting to ban texting while driving even while legislation in Tallahassee has stalled over the past few years.

* The Tampa Bay Times writes that as former Gov. Charlie Crist prepares to take the stage at the DNC, many Democrats are unsure of the former governor's motives.

* The Florida Current reports that the group aiming to oust three Supreme Court justices is kicking off a statewide tour.

* The Palm Beach Post looks at the issue of what happens when banks foreclose on a property but don't maintain it.

September 4, 2012

At convention, Wexler backs Obama on Israel

> Posted by William Gibson on September 4, 2012 06:03 PM

Former South Florida Congressman Robert Wexler will get a prime evening speaking role at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday to promote President Obama’s “steadfast support for the state of Israel.”

It’s a familiar role for Wexler, who was one of the first to get on board the Obama bandwagon in 2007 even though the congressman’s constituents in Broward and Palm Beach counties strongly favored Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination in 2008.

While consulting with Wexler, Obama became convinced he could win Florida in the 2008 election, a feat that most observers at the time strongly doubted. Wexler became – and still is – Obama’s liaison to the Jewish community.

Republicans accuse Obama of weakening the U.S. commitment to Israel, saying he put too much pressure on Israeli leaders to make concessions as a prelude to peace talks and to discourage settlements in Palestinian areas.

Wexler retired from Congress in 2010 to become president of the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace.

His speech is set for a segment of the convention program beginning at 7:30 p.m.

Convention planners say Wexler will outline Obama's “efforts to strengthen Israel's qualitative military advantage; raise US-Israel military cooperation to unprecedented levels; support Israel in international forums; and work together with Israel to prevent Iran's quest for nuclear weapons.”

Scott shakes up his public-image team; Burgess headed to RPOF

> Posted by Aaron Deslatte on September 4, 2012 05:22 PM

TALLAHASSEE -- Heading into the money years of his first term, Gov. Rick Scott is revamping his communications team, announcing Tuesday that longtime chief communications director Brian Burgess would be departing for the Republican Party of Florida in mid-September.

Burgess has been by Scott's side since his days of fighting President Obama's health-care reform through a group he funded called Conservatives for Patients Rights. He worked on Scott's out-of-nowhere, self-funded gubernatorial campaign in 2010, and has tried for the last two years to turn around the governor's upside-down approval ratings. A Public Policy Polling survey released Tuesday suggests the governor's image might be on the upswing, with 41 percent approval among voters and 49 percent disapproval.

"From the very beginning, Brian has been by my side as a strategic and political adviser, a trusted aide, and loyal member of my team," the governor said in a statement. "His strong work ethic, strategic advice and leadership will be missed inside the administration, but he isn’t going far. In his new role, he will continue to help tell the story to Floridians and the nation about what we’re accomplishing every day."

Burgess will be replaced by Melissa Sellers, who was director of regional media for the just-concluded Republican National Convention in Tampa. Before that, she served as comm director for Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal's 2007 campaign and first term in office.

Costello rejoins former law, lobbying firm

> Posted by Kathleen Haughney on September 4, 2012 12:28 PM

TALLAHASSEE -- Jon Costello, Gov. Rick Scott's top lobbyist who recently announced he was stepping down from his job, is rejoining his old firm, Rutledge, Ecenia & Purnell, P.A.

He will lead the office's government affairs practice.

"We are extremely excited that Jon is returning to the firm to lead the Governmental Affairs Practice," said Gary Rutledge, the firm’s President, in a press release. "As an early policy adviser to candidate Rick Scott, and later the Governor’s top lobbyist through two successful legislative sessions, Jon has proven himself to be one of the most informed and effective advocates in Florida. Jon’s stellar reputation as a knowledgeable and integrity driven adviser will be a great benefit to our clients and the firm’s growth."

State GOP launches TV attack against Crist

> Posted by Kathleen Haughney on September 4, 2012 09:43 AM

TALLAHASSEE -- The Republican Party of Florida has launched a television ad missive at former Republican Gov. Charlie Crist, who is delivering a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte this week.

"Charlie Crist may try to use the Democrats' national convention as his latest attempt to shed his political skin, but the RPOF intends to make sure the people of Florida and the nation remember his words and record," said RPOF Chairman Lenny Curry in a statement.

WILLIAM E. GIBSON, the Sun Sentinel’s Washington correspondent for 27 years, has covered seven presidential elections and 14 sessions of Congress, always with South Florida readers in mind.

Originally from the Kansas City area, he lived in New Mexico, New York and Fort Lauderdale before moving to Washington. Along the way, he studied journalism at the University of Kansas and Columbia University.